Odds computing device for eace



May 9, 1950 A. F. JULIUS ET Al.

ODDS COMPUTING DEVICE FOR RACE TOTALISATORS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 50, 1948 May 9, 1950 A. F. JuLlUs ET AL ODDS COMPUTING DEVICE FOR RACE TOTALI Filed June 50, 1948 SATORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 9, 1950 A. F. JuLxUs ET AL ODDS COMPUTING DEVICE FOR RACE TOTALISATORS Filed June 30, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I-E-Ilnven-ZOIQS Tanaka; V zua' @caga/agri) 0%0 IRS) bm if Patented May 9, 1950 ODDS COMPUTING DEVICE FOR RACE rEOTALIZATORS Awdry Francis Julius, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and George Alfred Julius, deceased, late of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, by

Eva Dronghsia Odierna Julius, Killara, near Sydney, New South Wales, and Awdry Francis Julius and Russell Stu South Wales, Australi Automatic Totalisato South Wales, Australia Application J une 30, 1948, Serial No. 36,168 In Australia J une 30, 1947 Claims. l

This invention relates to odds computing devices (odds units) for race totallsators of the kind in which a plurality of ticket issuers cause the number of transactions eifected thereby, to be recorded as totals in adding units of which there is one for each competitor in respect of which tickets are being issued. If the totalisator installation is one issuing both win and place tickets (for example) then there are two adding units for each competitor. One giving a count of win transactions in respect of the particular competitor, and the other similarly dealing with the place transactions. Each of the competitor adding units (or at least the win adding units) has an odds unit associated therewith so that the odds for each competitor (that is, the inverted ratio of investment on each competitor to that on all of the competitors for the particular event) may be displayed by a barometer or other indicator.

An example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, together with sufcient details of a typical odds unit (of the kind to which the invention is referable) as will enable the invention and the manner of its performance to be readily understood.

Figure l is a side elevation of an odds unit incorporating the invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation taken along line 2--2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation, on an enlarged scale, illustrating a major feature of the invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation taken along line 4-4 in Figure 3.

The odds unit comprises a pair of guide runways 5 and 6 at right angles one to another. Each of the runway limbs has a slider ('I and 8) thereon which is freely slidable longitudinally of its runway limb but is not rotatable thereon. The slider 1 (herein called the competitor slider) is sustainedly urged to move away from what may be called the locus junction 9 of the two sliders by a cord or cable It which is connected to the slider (at II) and passes over a pulley I2. Cable I has a weight I3 suspended thereon. While transactions are not being recorded in the associated competitor adding unit, the competitor slider is prevented from moving outwardly by a sprocket chain I4 or the like which has one end anchored (at I5) to the slider, and is enmeshed by a sprocket or gear (not shown) on the adding unit. This sprocket art Hicks, Sydney, New a, executors, assignors to rs Limited, Sydney, New

or gear is one which is rotated by the competitor adding unit in direct proportion to the number of transactions recorded thereby. When the sprocket or gear is rotated, it pays out the sprocket chain I4 enmeshed therewith and thus enables the weight-urged competitor slider I to move away from the locus junction 9. Thus the distance of the competitor slider from the junction point 9 is directly proportional to the count of transactions accumulated in the associated adding unit in respect of the competitor to which that adding unit is peculiar,

The slider 8 on the runway 6 (herein called the grand total slider) tends to descend towards the junction point 9 by its own weight plus that of parts associated therewith. This weight is nearly or not quite balanced by a counterweight I6 suspended on a sprocket chain I 1 which passes over a sprocket wheel I8 and then extends downwardly to the grand total slider, to which the chain is anchored at I9. The sprocket wheel I8 is keyed on a line shaft 2o. This line shaft is rotated in direct proportion to the total number of transactions accumulated (on all of the individual competitor adding units) by a grand total adding unit. Thus the distance of the grand total slider from the junction point S is directly proportional to the grand total of transactions for all competitors in the event in respect of which tickets are being issued.

Each of the sliders has what may be called a signiiicant horizontal axis. These axes of the two sliders are parallel. In the grand total slider the significant axis is that of a fulcrum pin 2I mounted in a bracket portion of the slider. In the competitor slider the significant axis is that of a similar fulcrum pin 22 which carries a freely revoluble channel-sectioned abutment shoe 23 forming a part of the competitor slider assembly. This shoe is so mounted that the plane of the licor of its web intersects the significant axis of the competitor slider. The fulcrum pin 24 has a computer lever fulcrumed thereon. One arm of this lever is loaded by a counterweight 24. The other arm is a rigid blade 25 which when in use normally extends obliquely downwardly as a hypotenuse to the right angle formed by the loci of the grand total and competitor sliders. This blade is arranged, and also because of the loading due to its counterweight, so that one of its edges (26) bears upwardly and slidingly against the web iioor of the abutment shoe 23.

age upwardly over the pulley 2l, about the pulley n 2t, and under pulley 2t. lt .then extends upwardly to a relay unit which operates an odds display barometer or other indicator. The pulley 29 thus forms a bight 32 inthe relay unit cable et, and the amount of cable constituting this 1eight will vary in accordance with the angular disposition of the computer lever. The cable is maintained taut by reason of its 1in-anchored end portion passing over a pulley :in the relay unit and having a counterweight suspended thereon. -f

The odds on a particular competitor are the ratio of the grand total .number of transactions, to the number of transactions effected in respect of a particular competitor. As previously ezplained, this ratio is the same Lthe ratio of the distance between the grand total slider signiiicant axis and the locus junction S, to the distance between the competitor slider signiiicant axis the said locus junction.

This latter ratio is therefore a function of the angle at which the computer bladeV is disposed at any particular instant. Therefore the angle of blade disposition is a function of the odds. Angular movement of the blade, as previously stated, will vary the amount of relay unit cable constituting the bight SZ, and therefore the endwise movement of the free end of the relay unit cable 3d is also a function of the odds on any particular competitor. It will thus be appreciated, no matter what the volume of transactions may be, that so long as the odds on a competitor remain constant, the computer blade will maintain the same hypotenusal angular disposition relative to the vertical and horizontal runways, so that although'the volume of transactions may increase and the .two significant axes thus recede from the locus junction, if the proportionality of their recession remains constant, then the length of cable constituting the bight 32 will remain constant and thus there is no change in the displayed odds.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the locus junction and the two significant axes constitute the corners of a right angled triangle, so that before Va run of transactions is commenced, the two signicant axes will be coincident one to another and to the junction point. in this position, the pivotally mounted shoe 23 on the competitor slider (which normally has the computer blade bearing thereagainst and thus acts as a stop to prevent the blade rising angularly above the competitor significant axis) will no longer exercise this restraint-and therefore in this zero-ised position the blade is free to rotate, unless some form of additional restraint is pro-- vided therefor. To provide this initial restraint it has been previously proposed to provide a manual latching arrangement on each odds unit which holds the computer blade in a downwardly extending vertical position, until a run of transactions has progressed suiciently for the grand total slider to have risen a sufficient distance for the shoe to impose an effective restraint moment on the blade. In some prior odds units automatic devices have been arranged so that when the grand total slider has risen the necessary safe amount the blades become unlatched, but with that arrangement it was necessary to provide complex damping means to prevent the blade from suddenly swinging towards and forcibly striking the shoe in taking up its position thereagainst. This was a serious disability, as' the computer blades are usually from two to three feet in length and the momentum gained thereby in suddenly swinging through an angle of as much as sixty degrees or more (under the pull of its Vcounterweight and the pull due to the relay Vunit cable) imposed considerable strain and occasional damage on the equipment.

In a further attempt to overcome the men- -tioned defect, manual latches have been provided which necessitated a mechanic in charge of the apparatus attending each odds unit and manually releasing the blades and easing them gently into contact with their respective shoes after the grand total sliders had receded sufllciently from the locus junction point.

The object of this invention is to overcome the mentioned disabilities in a particularly simple manner (and in a manner which eliminates necessity for individual attention to each adding unit) during the critical initial period of transaction runs on the several adding units.

The invention may be summarised as consisting in the provision in or for a race totalisator odds unit (or .a battery thereof) of the kind referred to above, of lost motion drive means for moving a grand total slider through its locus, such drive means preferably comprising a driving element such as a gear wheel or sprocket means for drive connecting the riving element to a grand total adding unit whereby the driving element may be rotated in direct correspondence with a Ycount accumulation in the grand total adding unit, a pair of stops on the driving element, a line shaft upon which the driving element is freely revoluble, a driven element keyed on the line shaft, a lug on the driven element which projects between the two stops, and means for drive connecting the line shai t to the grand total slider.

It will be recalled that the grand total sliders in each odds unit are lifted by chains (il) running over sprockets on a line shaft El), the rotation of vwhich corresponds to the grand total of transactions elected in respect ofall competitors.4 This line shaft is common to all of the odds units in a battery thereof and carries a grand total drive sprocket (I8) for each odds unit. The sprocket for a second odds unit is indicated at 18A.

The line shaft 2D is driven by the grand total adding unit by way vof a sprocket chain or the like which engages a driving element such as a sprocket 35 and also engages a similar element forming part of the grand total adding unit, This driving element 35 is freely revolubly mounted on the line shaft. The sprocket 35 carries a pair of stops each of which preferably consists of a block Se having an adjustable stop screw 3? therein. Each screw 3l may be an ordinary set screw equipped with lock nuts 3e to retain selected adjustment thereof. In such case the unheaded ends 39 of the set screws constitute the stop members. It will be appreciated that screws such as 3l may be omitted, as the stop members are not necessarily adjustable. Adjacent the sprocket 35 the line shaft has a driven element such as plate All xed thereto (by pin :il for example). This plate has a radially projecting lug e2 which projects radially between the stops (39) and is able to contact either one thereof. Thus the sprocket 35 and the driven plate 40 are capable of relative rotational movement within the limits of the arcuate distance between the tips 39 of the set screws. The amount of this relative rotational movement is such as to correspond with the amount by.. which the grandtotal slider should be raised above its bottom zero position in order that the shoe on the competitor slider will apply an eiective restraining moment on the computer blade.

Each of the grand total sliders in the several odds units is preferably provided with a limit stop which may be a screwed stem e3, the ef fective length of which i'nay be adjusted and retained by lock nuts or the like. This stem is so positioned and adjusted relative to a stationary stop 44, that it is able to ensure against the grand total slider from descending to the locus junction 9, by a distance in substantial correspondence with the arcuate distance between the stops (39) o-n the line shaft driven element 4U.

To reset the grand total sliders of the several odds units, it is only necessary to turn the line shaft in the direction reverse to its ordinary working rotation. At the commencement of this reverse rotation some lost motion will take place while the l-fug 42 moves from one of the stop set screws, to the other, so that when the grland total sliders are nearly at the end point in their travel towards the locus junction 9 they will halt the required safe distance just above that point. This safe halting is positively ensured (although not necessarily so) by reason of the stems d3 abutting the stops M, assuming they be present, as is preferably the case.

When the mechanism subsequently commences to operate in the handling of a transaction run, the line shaft sprocket 35 will be rotated in the usual manner by the lgrand total adding unit, brut will not commence to lift the grand total sliders until the lug 42 returns from the second stop 39 back to the rst stop. As soon as this rst stop is reached by the lug the line shaft will commence rotation and the grand total sliders will commence to rise in the normal manner. Once this rise commences the position of the grand total slider relative to the locus junction will then be directly proportional to the grand total number of transactions as required. Until the number off grand total transactions is equivalent to the amount of lost motion referred to, the aneularitv the computer blade wilt not strictly represent the actual odds obtaining in respect of each competitor, but as this lost motion is very small in relation to the total slider movement necessary in the handling of any one event, the discrepancy is not appreciable and in any case it disappears within the first minute or so of the transaction rrun.

What we claim is:

l. For a race totalisator odds unit cf the .kind comprising a grand total slider rectilinearly movable relative to a locus junction point, a competitor slider able to recede from said locus junction point in a direction at right angles to the locus of said grand total slider in direct corre spondence with count accumulation in a competitor adding unit, a hypotenusal computer lever which is fulcrurned on said grand total slider and is loaded to bear against a portion of said competitor slider, and a relay unit cable able to govern operation of an odds indicator in correspondence with variations in the angular disposition of said computer lever, means for moving said grand total slider in its said locus,

freely revoluble, means for drive connecting said line shaft to said grand total slider, and lost motion means connectingv said driving element and said line shaft, and means to prevent the return of the fulcrum of said grand total slider to said locus junction point when said adding unit is reset.

2. For a race totalisator odds unit of comprising a grand total slider rectilinearly movabie relative to a locus junction point, a competitor slider able to recede from said locus junction point in a direction at right angles to the locus or" said grand total slider in direct correspondence with a count :accumulation in a competitor adding unit, a hypotenusal computer lever which is fulcrumed on said grand total slider and is loaded to bear against a portion of said competitor slider, and a relay unit cable able to govern operation of an odds indicator in correspondence with variations in the angular disposition of said computer lever; lost motion means for moving said grand total slider in its said locus, comprising, a driving element, means for drive connecting said driving element to a grand total adding unit whereby said driving element may be rotated in direct correspondence with a count accumulation in said grand total adding unit, a pair of stops on said driving element, a line shaft whereon said driving element is freely revoluble, a driven element keyed on said line shaft, a lug on said driven element which projects radially between said stops, means for drive connecting said line shaft to said grand total slider, and means preventing return of the iulcrum of said grand total slider to said locus junction point when said adding unit is reset.

3. For a race totalisator odds unit of the kind comprising a grand total slider rectilinearly movn able relative to a locus junction point, a competitor slider able to recede from said loam `junction point in a direction at right angles to the locus of said grand total slider in direct correspondence with a count accumulation in a competitor adding unit, a hypotenusal computer lever which is fulcrurned on said grand total slider and is loaded to bear against a portion of said competitor slider, and a relay unit cable able to govern operation of an odds indicator in correspondence with variations in the angular disposition of said computer lever; lost motion means for moving said grand total slider in its said locus, comprising, a driving element, means for drive connecting said driving element to a grand total adding unit whereby said driving element may be rotated in direct correspondence with a count accumulation in said grand total adding unit, a lpair of stops on said driving element, a line shaft whereon said driving element is freely revoluble, a driven element keyed on said line shaft, la lug on said driven element which projects radially between said stops, means for drive connecting said line shaft to said grand total slider, a limit stop on said grand total slider, and a stationary stop against which said limit stop may abut, to prevent return of the fulcrum of said grand total slider to said locus junction point when said adding unit is reset.

4. Apparatus as dened in claim 2 wherein eh- @ff Said' on the driving 'element consists of 'b'oekxedto said. driving lment, a; lset s'crw thadd into' saidrlblock, and lock:V nut an sami setscrw.

Y REFERENCES. EI'EED' le of this paT/nt:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

NumberV Name. Dafne 1,922,957 Juius: et al. Y Aug. 15, 1935 1379;174 Julius' et al.- Oct. 28,. 1930 2,075,930 Dayton v. v v Apr'. 6, 1937. 

